Much of the land in Butler is very sandy and poor except that along the river. "Butler Level" refers to a rich section of land It is said to be the richest land in the county. When you get about 4 miles outside of Reynolds, the soil becomes rich again. This difference in land made a difference in the economy of the various sections of Taylor County.
Whitewater Creek on highway 19 is in a valley with hills on either side. the north hill is "Whitewater Hill." Rhodes Academy was just past the crest of that hill. the land was donated by the mott family. the old building burned in recent years. it think it must have been among the "field schools" begun right before the civil war.
Flint River Patsiliga Creek (seems to cross the WHOLE county east-west) Whitewater Creek (two forks so covers a large area) Jackson Branch (off southern Whitewater Creek) Black Creek Rambulette Creek Cedar Creek Meadow Creek Horse Creek Beaver Creek Griffin Branch Timms Creek (branch of Patsiliga Creek) Fraser Branch Toteover South of Potterville. It runs on down through Macon County to the Flint. IF your family lived on any of these Creeks....very early....let's try to put together some of the earliest settlers in present day Taylor...
As usual, I don't have much actual knowledge but I do know a story or two. The Frazier family lived there (hence the name). I wouldn't call it a creek or anything - My guess it that it fed from a spring. When there is a lot of rain, it swells and causes the road to wash out. That has happened twice in my lifetime. There's no bridge over it but the last time the road washed out, they did put a culvert in.
Now to my story: The Fraziers were the closest family to my
greatgrandparents, Georgia and Sam Jones. My great aunt Lizzie was coming in
for a visit (she lived in Jacksonville, FL) so my great-grandmother was busy
getting ready for her visit. Mrs. Frazier wanted to talk and Georgia didn't
have time for her. Mrs. Frazier told her that Aunt Lizzie was just coming
to gourmandize off of her. It always impressed Daddy that Mrs. Frazier
would know a word such as that (and that it actually was a word!).
Beth Collins
This creek runs behind the old farm of my mother's father, James Thomas Beeland, known as "Jim Tom". After we moved to Thomaston, my dad, brother and I often hunted squirrels on Timms Creek. It crosses the dirt road and there is no bridge so you drive through the creek. We would play in the creek and wash our cars.
Very shallow and almost ran dry a year or two ago because of no rain. My
grandchildren like to pick up the smooth rocks and carry them home.A very quiet and peaceful place. The sound of the water flowing over the rocks is very soothing to an old country boy!!
John Adams
When I was in grammar school our school bus driver would take us to Timms Creek on the last day of school so that we could wade in the creek for a while. Our bus driver was James Royal. He was such a nice man. Bev Meredith
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